Army thinks it is slowing suicides
The number of soldier suicides this year is almost sure to top last year’s total, but a recent decline in the pace of such incidents could mean the Army is starting to make progress in stemming them, officials said.
Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the Army’s vice chief of staff, said 140 active-duty soldiers were thought to have died of self-inflicted wounds so far in 2009. That’s the same as were confirmed for all of 2008.
But, Chiarelli said, there has been a tapering off in recent months from large surges in suspected suicides in January and February.
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